Beyond the Skills Gap Preparing College Students for Life and Work

By Matthew T. Hora, Ross J. Benbow, & Amanda K, Oleson

Matthew T. Hora, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Liberal Arts & Applied Studies

Research Scientist, Wisconsin Center for Education Research matthew.hora@wisc.edu @matt_hora

Slide deck posted on: www.slideshare.net

Image Source: http://www.magoda.com

“The skills gap in the US is killing millions of jobs. More than 4.5 million job openings in the US cannot

be filled, because of a skills shortage.” (CNBC, 2015)

“I've frequently heard from employers that they cannot find enough skilled workers to fill positions. The skills gap is a very real concern in Wisconsin and around the country.”

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker 3/24/13

“Is the education system not adequately preparing the workforce? The consensus is yes.

Too many colleges are graduating students with liberal arts degrees in limited-job specialties such as Renaissance art.”

WI Policy Research Insitute, 2015Image Source: http://www.atlantic.com

The dominant logic: A dysfunctional talent supply chain is stifling economic growth

Demand Millions of good jobs,

especially in skilled trades/STEM exist today

Supply Lack of qualified

workers due to higher ed system inadequately aligned

to workforce needs

Sources: https://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_table_104.htm and https://www.southseattle.edu/documents/worker_retraining/2008/careerpathway/nursing_map.pdf

Career Pathways to High-Demand Occupations2. Registered nurses 439, 300 ($67k)

35 Credits (Pre-Reqs Only) or45 Credits (Pathway Program)

Nursing Career Pathway

*Job title and wage information from annual wages reported in the Occupational Employment Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics for the Seattle/King County Workforce Development Area: http://www.workforceexplorer.com/cgi/dataanalysis/AreaSelection.asp?tableName=OeswageActual job titles and wages will vary depending on demonstrable skills and experience.

Short-Term Training

Nursing Assistant Certified (NAC) Certificate

1 Quarter12 Credits

Class Topics· CPR Certification· AIDS/HIV Certification· Aging and Disabilities· Monitoring & Maintaining

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50 Hours Clinical Experience

Entry Requirements· CASAS test: 230 Math & Reading· Clear Criminal Background· Meet Fitness Requirements· Immunizations

Start Here

Career Change Tech Prep ABE / GED / ESL Unemployed High School TANF / Food Stamps

Jobs & Wages*

Nursing Assistant Certified (hospital, long-term care,

in-home care, etc.)$9.23 - $14 / hour

Take State NAC Exam

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Licensed Practical Nursing

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Certificate

4 Quarters (NAC + Pre-Reqs) + application and immunizations prior to application.

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7 hour training, Physical exam, Background check.

Class Topics· Patient cross-cultural and legal

ethical concepts· Causation of illness and

response to treatment· Body systems· Medical surgical nursing· Pharmacology· Needs of the aging patient· Pediatric, maternal and infant

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264 Hours Clinical Experience

Entry Requirements· Current NAC Certification· Application by deadline + 2

Letters of Recommendation· Clear Criminal Background· Meet Fitness Requirements· Immunizations· Nursing Pre-Requisites', with

grade of 2.5 or higher

Jobs & Wages*

Licensed Practical Nurse (hospital, long-term care,

clinic, private practice, etc.)$16.85 - $27.82 / hour

Take State LPN-NCLEX

Exam for Certification

Pre-College Math & English

Or, if needed...

2 Year Degree

Registered Nurse (RN)Associate of Applied Science Transfer Degree in Nursing

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(LPN Certificate + 3 Quarters)

125 or 135 Credits(LPN Certificate + 36 Credits)

Class Topics· Roles & responsibilities of the RN· Nursing in obstetric and pediatric

settings· Health promotion & wellness · Legal and ethical issues· Various healthcare systems· Psychiatric disorders· Medical-surgical acute · care settings· Drug therapy, intravenous therapy· Monitoring clients’ conditions · Leadership in nursing· Ambulatory care, community-

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385 Hours Clinical Experience

Entry Requirements· Current LPN Certification· 2.5+ in all LPN Classes· Application by deadline + 2

Letters of Recommendation· Clear Criminal Background· Meet Fitness Requirements· Immunizations· ENG 101 & MAT 107 (COMPASS

test: 68 Writing, 81 Reading, 71 Algebra)

· Nursing Pre-Requisites', with grade of 2.5 or higher

Jobs & Wages*Registered Nurse

(hospital, long-term care, clinic, private practice, etc.)

$24.25 - $47.66 / hour

Take RN-NCLEX

Exam for Certification

Entry Requirements· COMPASS test: 68

Writing, 77 Reading, 71 Algebra

· ENG 101 requires COMPASS Reading score of 81

2-3 Quarters

NA-C Orientation + CASAS test, CPR/AED for Professional Rescuer

and WATCH background check

Nursing Pre-requisites

Academic Coursework 2-4 Quarters

Courses· Anatomy/Physiology I & II

(BIOL&241 and BIOL&242)· Microbiology (BIOL&260)· Composition (ENGL&101) · Elementary Statistics (MATH&146) · Lifespan Psychology (PSYC&200)· Intro to Chemistry (CHEM&121)

All academic coursework must be completed with a grade of 2.5 or better before submitting nursing application.

MMR – (Measles, Mumps, Rubella), Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis), Hepatitis B (3 shot series), Varicella (Chicken pox),

TB test (2 step, or proof of negative test or chest x-ray if positive)

Immunizations needed to work in healthcare:

Kestrel Aircraft to relocate in Superior creating 600 jobs

“This relocation will be a huge boost to the Superior-area economy, ” said Gov. Scott Walker.Source: http://inwisconsin.com/press_releases/kestrel-aircraft-to-relocate-in-superior-creating-600-jobs/ Image Source: http://www.hondajet.com

Image Source:: http://www.witc.edu/newscontent/careerimpact/spring2013/preventing-a-skills-gap.pdf

Is this diagnosis of the challenges facing higher education and the labor

market accurate?

“The skills gap is a myth. The employment problem here is not a “skills matching” issue but a deficiency in the aggregate demand for goods

and labor.” Marc Levine, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Feb 2013)

“We read the report and waited to get to the part where the professor talked to

manufacturers. Unfortunately, he did not.”

Jim Morgan, President of the WI Manufacturers & Commerce Foundation (Feb 2013)

National Science Foundation-ECR Grant: 2012 - 2015

Study Methods

70 Educators 75 Employers

Manufacturing (no food or furniture)

(n=64)

Biotechnology (n=11)

(n=34)

(n=36)

In-depth interviews - Document analysis - Factory/lab tours

1

2

3

Valued skillsets

Teaching and training

Partnerships between education/industry

Hiring

4

Lesson #1: Skills are not just “skills,” nor are they the same as occupations

All educators (n=49)

Manufacturing Employers (n=59)

Biotech Employers (n=7)

Term Salience Term Salience Term Salience

Technical ability 0.381 Work ethic 0.338 Experience on job 0.345

Work ethic 0.257 Technical ability 0.342 Lifelong learning 0.301Technical knowledge 0.238

Technical knowledge 0.302 Technical ability 0.227

Problem solving 0.232 Lifelong learning 0.144 Communication 0.226

Teamwork 0.204 Problem solving 0.132 Problem solving 0.182

Communication 0.183 Adaptable 0.132 Work ethic 0.163

Critical thinking 0.156 Interpersonal 0.112 Detail oriented 0.153

Innovative 0.154 Attitude 0.112 Self motivated 0.150

Detail-oriented 0.145 Teamwork 0.112 Background 0.149

Lifelong learning 0.103 Communication 0.111Technical knowledge 0.141

Competencies essential for success in the workplace

Cognitive: knowledge, cognitive strategies (critical thinking)

Inter-personal: teamwork and leadership Intra-personal: work ethic, intellectual openness,

positive self-evaluation

National Research Council’s “21st Century Competencies”

Key issue: Transferability

We spend a lot of time here so having people that are just horses asses for a lack of a better word - we just don't want them here…

(a) because it's a pain to be around them, and (b) it takes away the meaningful discussions and the problem solving, which is basically what we do here.

Manufacturing supervisor, La Crosse, WI

Image Source: https://www.bmwusfactory.com

Skills as integrated habits of mind unique to a profession

Skills as grounded in culture and experience

Image Source: Brett Roseman, USA Today

You know, what we (a manufacturer) measure when we’re trying to hire somebody is YOTF.’ And I said, “What is

YOTF?” And the guy said, “Years off the farm.”

WI Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) Representative

Skills are not just “skills” nor are they the same as occupations

Lesson #2: How to cultivate these technical and transferable competencies?

Experiential learning across the disciplines

Focusing on technical and transferable competencies

Instructional strategies used to teach 21st century competencies

Teaching Method Targeted Skills Example

Problem-based learningTechnical knowledge/ability,

problem-solving, communication

Fix broken robotic arm in small teams

Multi-audience writing Technical knowledge/ability, written communication

Writing projects for research, general public, and

policymaker audiences

Course-embedded projects

Problem-solving, oral communication, teamwork

Solicit real-world problems from local employers for

course project

Classroom management Work ethic (self-regulated learning)

Set and enforce strict deadlines

Fun fact!

To get a job in many colleges and universities in U.S. higher education you don’t need any training in how to teach.

Snapshot of Faculty Teaching in Research Universities

0.0

0.2

0.5

0.7

0.9

Lect w/PP Lect w/CB Group work Desk Work

Bars indicate % time spent on teaching modality (n=56 STEM faculty)

Biology

Mech Eng

Geology

Physics

Source: Hora, M. T. (2015). Toward a descriptive science of teaching: How the TDOP illuminates the multidimensional nature of active learning in postsecondary classrooms. Science Education, 99(5), 783-818.

The role of general education and the liberal arts tradition

Many companies will say, “Your 2-year degrees are so bloated, why would I need someone that needs English or history…”

They don’t understand that that’s going to make a really good employee.

It’s happened where an employer comes back and says, “You were right.”

WI Technical College Administrator

Pellico, L. H., Friedlaender, L., & Fennie, K. P. (2009). Looking is not seeing: Using art to improve observational skills. Journal of Nursing Education, 48(11), 648-653.

Image Source: http://art.williams.edu/the-major/honors/

Exposure to different topics, ideas, ways of thinking

Lesson #3: The lack of workplace training, and the problem of hiring for “cultural fit”

How Employers Cultivated Valued Skills in Employees

41% - informal shadowing (e.g., follow Bob around for 4 weeks) 11% - formal courses (e.g., new machinery)

A 2015 Manpower Group survey (n= 41,700) found that only 1 in 5 employers were providing training to existing staff.

Source: http://www.manpowergroup.com/talent-shortage-2015

74% of employers screen for “fit” with their organizational culture

See: Rivera, L. A. (2012). Hiring as cultural matching: The case of elite professional service firms. American Sociological Review, 77(6), 999-1022.

“People who are absolutely perfect on paper won’t get a job if they don’t fit the company culture.”

Company history/size Employee attributes Managerial style

Lesson #4: Multiple forms of cross-sector partnerships - not just career pathways -

foster students’ competencies

Type of Collaboration Example Impacts on student competenciesCurriculum/Program

Advising

Curriculum Advisory Boards

State- or industry-mandated advisory boards w/industry reps

Direct communication of industry needs/Feedback channel re:alumni

Co-Designed Company Training

Company and local educators collaboratively design training

Employee develops new form of cultural capital/company acquires new program

Curricular Co-construction

Course projects suggested by local employers

Student acquires new form of cultural capital salient to industrial field

Work Experience/Career Pathway

Program

Multi-Contact Programs Apprenticeships and internships

Student acquires new form of cultural capital valued by both fields and social capital

networks) capital

One-Time Programs Industry field trips/career days Exposes students to new field(s)

Career Services

Career CounselingCollege/university career

services; career fairsExposes students to new field(s); cultivates

social capital

Industry Cluster/Workforce Dev Board

Chamber of Commerce events/Industry cluster activities

Sectoral collaborations may enhance above activities

Diverse forms of partnership cultivate student competencies

https://www.uwlax.edu/info/community-portal/

OK - so what?

What does all this mean for California’s community colleges?

The skills gap idea contains some truths…

Image Source: http://www.atlantic.comImage Source: http://www.atlantic.com

Image Source: http://www.atlantic.com

“What's funny is that when we talk to our development board or Northcentral Technical College and they talk about the skills gap….they're talking about teaching people to weld.

The gap we see is that people can't hold a job and can't solve a problem.”

Manufacturing supervisor, Wausau, WI

But it ignores the importance of diverse competencies that learners need to acquire

To ensure that all students acquire 21st century competencies by the time they graduate

(and then throughout their working lives)

What should our central focus be?

Access to College

State Government

Higher Education Employers

4-Year Institutions

2-Year InstitutionsAdvanced Manufacturing

Biotechnology

Hands-on, experiential education

Hands-on, experiential

training

Comprehensive, multi-disciplinary

education

Employer investment in

training & collaboration

Employer investment in

training & collaboration

Hands-on, experiential

training

Centers for Teaching & Learning

Career & Academic Advising/Supports

Hands-on, experiential education

Comprehensive, multi-disciplinary

education

Centers for Teaching &

LearningCareer & Academic Advising/Supports

Adequate Funding for Public Higher Education

Industry Clusters,Workforce

Development Initiatives

Curriculum & Program Advising

Advisory Boards Curricular Co-Construction

Career ServicesWork-based

Learning Programs Field Trips

Classroom Visits

The skills infrastructure: Systemic reform for college-work pathways

Acquisition of Skills, Knowledge, Abilities Graduation

Graduates w/21st Century

Competencies

Cognitive Inter-Personal Intra-Personal

Screening & Hiring

Continual Development of

21st Century Competencies

Return to Higher Education System

There is too little discussion about demand (job quality) attention to 21st century competencies

focus on teaching and learning and worse - active undermining of the skills infrastructure

Are we on the right track?

Sort of…..

“Morale (on campus) is lower than it has been at any job I’ve ever worked, including waiting tables at Pizza Hut in

high school, and detasseling corn when I was 14” UW-River Falls faculty

How to undermine the skills infrastructure: Ignore/denigrate the teaching workforce

Source: http://www.hudsonstarobserver.com/news/education/3836301-students-return-budget-slashed-campus

“We want to transform our work force to the point where we need to hire fewer people”

Joey Hall, Pioneer’s executive VP for Permian operations

Elephants in the room: Job quality and automation1. Personal care aides - 458,100 ($21k)

4. Fast food - 343,500 ($19k)3. Home health aides - 348,400 ($22k)

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/19/business/energy-environment/oil-jobs-technology.html

Six things we need to do Systemic investments in each college’s skills infrastructure

Re-frame the debate: From blame to cooperation From jobs and “skills” to diverse competencies

Embed problem-based learning across the curriculum

1

2

3

Resist the narrowing of the curriculum

Expand career services and integrate into all aspects of student experience

Increase employer engagement efforts, especially those focused on instructional design

(at college or company level)

4

5

6

Six things we need to do Systemic investments in each college’s skills infrastructure

Invest in teachers and teaching: Ongoing training, living wages, political support

Implications for the Strong Workforce Program

Curricular co-development Contextualized curriculum Faculty incentives for PD

Source: Career Advancement Academies (2015) Equal Measure/CLP.

Limited focus on 21st century competencies Metrics for student success

Challenges w/education-industry partnerships

Strengths

Weaknesses

Finally - be skeptical in the face of reform

Questions we need to be asking:

* What is being lost with a CTE focus? * Do employers really see badges/certificates as signaling

competence? * Is the accountability movement in higher education doing more

harm than good? * Why is China seeking to adopt the liberal arts model as part of

its innovation agenda? * How much administration and resources would it take to really

launch a system-wide internship program?

Next Steps

Studying education-industry dynamics in other regions and countries New NSF Project: Focus on non-technical skills in 4 high-STEM job regions of the US

Comparative analysis of US and Chinese college-work dynamics

Thank You! For more information: matthew.hora@wisc.edu and: @matt_hora

New Research Center at UW-Madison